INTRODUCTION: NOW ON BBC WORLD SERVICE, THE FOURTH PROGRAMME IN OUR SERIES OF INTERNATIONAL PHONE-INS. THE GUEST IS SIR DAVID WILSON, THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, AND THE SERIES HOST IS OLIVER SCOTT.
SIR DAVID WILSON HAS
OLIVER SCOTT: THE CAREER OF MY GUEST TODAY MIGHT HAVE BEEN TAILOR- MADE TO LEAD TO THE GOVERNORSHIP OF HONG KONG.
IN THE REGION,
REGION, IN VIENTIANE HELD SEVERAL PREVIOUS DIPLOMATIC POSTS
HE STUDIED MANDARIN AND IS A AND PEKING AS WELL AS HONG KONG ITSELF.
HE ALSO SERVED IN THE CABINET FORMER EDITOR OF 'CHINA QUARTERLY'.
A KEY ROLE OFFICE HERE IN LONDON AS POLITICAL ADVISER ON HONG KONG. FOR SIR DAVID AS GOVERNOR IS TO GUIDE THE COLONY TOWARDS 1997 WHEN IT REVERTS TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY. IT IS A TASK COMPLICATED BY NUMEROUS FACTORS, AMONG THEM THE WORLDWIDE REVULSION AT THE MASSACRE JUST OVER A YEAR AGO IN PEKING WHEN THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES BRUTALLY CRUSHED THE IN HONG KONG ITSELF SIR PRO-DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATION LED BY STUDENTS. DAVID'S CONCERNS WILL NO DOUBT INCLUDE WHAT HAS BEEN TERMED 'THE BRAIN DRAIN', THE UNCERTAINTY INSTILLED IN A NORMALLY FLAMBOYANTLY CONFIDENT ECONOMY BECAUSE OF DOUBT ABOUT WHAT LIES AHEAD, THE ISSUE OF WHETHER AND VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE SENT HOME AGAINST THEIR WILL, FEARS THAT THE BASIC LAW DOES TOO LITTLE TO PROTECT CITIZENS OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997 HAS PASSED.
BUT, SIR DAVID, BEFORE WE GET INTO ANY OF THOSE AREAS, A VERY GENERAL QUESTION: WHAT DOES THE GOVERNORSHIP INVOLVE?
SIR DAVID: WELL, GOOD EVENING. I SUPPOSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT DOESN'T MUCH INVOLVE IS WHAT PEOPLE TEND TO THINK ABOUT AS GOVERNORS, THAT IS SOMEBODY GOING AROUND IN A PLUMED HAT CARRYING OUT CEREMONIAL TASKS. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS A GOVERNOR HAS TO DO BUT IT IS A VERY SMALL PART OF THE JOB. IT IS REALLY AN ALL ABSORBING JOB BEING IN CHARGE OF THE EXECUTIVE OF A VERY DYNAMIC, BUSTLING PLACE; THIS SMALL TERRITORY OF HONG KONG IS THE 11TH LARGEST TRADING TERRITORY IN THE WORLD, SO NOT ONLY IS IT LOOKING AFTER WHAT IS HAPPENING INTERNALLY IN HONG KONG, EVERY ASPECT OF THAT, BUT IT IS ALSO LOOKING THAT IS GOING AROUND TALKING IN OTHER AFTER THE EXTERNAL DIMENSION PLACES, THE UNITED STATES, BRITAIN, THE CONTINENT AND SO ON ABOUT HONG KONG SO THAT PEOPLE ARE UP TO DATE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HONG
SO IT KONG, THAT IS, PUTTING ACROSS THE HONG KONG STORY OVERSEAS. HAS GOT A LARGE ELEMENT INSIDE RUNNING THE TERRITORY AND A LARGE ELEMENT EXTERNALLY AS WELL.
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OLIVER SCOTT:
WELL, WITH THAT BACKGROUND IN PLACE SIR DAVID, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST CALLER, ELANA GOFFES SPEAKING FROM SPAIN WITH, ON YOUR THE FACE OF IT, A VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION. MISS GOFFES, QUESTION PLEASE?
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU YOUR COMMENT
CALLER: GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR DAVID. ON WHY BRITAIN IS GIVING BACK HONG KONG, PRESUMABLY AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE MAJORITY OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE THERE, WHILST BRITAIN HAS SAID SHE WILL NOT GIVE BACK GIBRALTAR TO SPAIN AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE GIBRALTARIANS?
SIR DAVID: GOOD AFTERNOON, MISS GOFFES. THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY. I THINK THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THAT HERE IN HONG KONG MOST OF THE TERRITORY IS ON A LEASE FROM CHINA, A 99-YEAR LEASE,
WAS IF NOTHING
DONE BRITISH WHICH COMES TO AN END IN 1997, SO
TO AN END IN MOST OF HONG KONG IN ADMINISTRATION WOULD SIMPLY COME
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